No-Code is Trash

"No-code" is complicated. We clear it up.

In this video, we dive deep into why the term "no-code" doesn't do FlutterFlow justice and explore what FlutterFlow truly is. Discover why FlutterFlow is a Visual Development Platform that balances ease of use with the power of code. We’ll explain the evolution of app development interfaces, the pitfalls of high abstraction tools, and why FlutterFlow stands out as a low-abstraction platform that gives you both control and flexibility. Whether you're a seasoned developer or new to app development, this video will reshape how you think about building apps.

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FlutterFlow is a low-code builder for native apps, bringing design and development into one tool. With drag-and-drop functionality, you can build pixel-perfect UIs and easily connect your app to live data via Firebase or APIs. Plus, you can add advanced features like push notifications, payments, animations, and more. Whether you build your own custom widgets or write custom code, FlutterFlow makes it easy to bring your app ideas to life.

[ktjlsfwjcb]

A proprietary platform cannot be the next iteration of the development interface.
But it can inspire open source developers to create their own one.

[Kumarms]

Let's leave everything about no code aside.... Did anyone notice that most of the tutorials on this channel are taught by this voice? So i finally came to know that this person is the who made excellent flutterflow tutorial videos... Let's be thankful to him...

[jakehadley]

This is probably the best sales pitch for flutterflow out there, and I don't even want to use it yet lol

[venaautos]

Omg a face to the voice of all the tutorials! You are a legend!!

[gladsondube]

I've always find it weird to call myself a "no-code" developer

[firefoxmetzger]

I am a happy FlutterFlow user, yet I dont like this video. It is branding to distance FF from the term no-code, but this is not how branding works. It also shows that you are not really listening to user feedback :'(

Show us large apps that are "proudly build with FlutterFlow", 'proper' tech companies using FF in their production workflow, or simply people building and debugging custom components. This will be far more convincing and better branding than saying "we dont want to be no-code, please dont judge us by this measure".

While at it, your users are saying that your abstraction is currently broken. You want to be a low-level abstraction and when it gets in the way you need custom components. The developer experience of these is inferior compared to a dedicated, local IDE setup. People give up and say "thats just typical for a no-code tool". Please don't argue against the symptom, instead fix the underlying issue (and advertise the fix).

Also, you don't get to argue against how people receive the message. You get to control what message you send, not how it is understood. This is feedback on how to fix your marketing copy (and improve the product) not an opinion you can argue against.

[golden_iris]

I think there's a space for an update that would allow the code to be exported, get some modifications and can upload it back to FF, so that we can keep building on FF

[ymirfrostgiant]

When the best marketing strategy is a direct frontal attack on your worst insecurities.

[TrifectaDev]

I'm glad they tackled this concept head-on. Def changed my perspective

[PavitraGolchha]

RAD or "Rapid Application Development" would be a better way to describe FlutterFlow.

[FrederickHenriquez-qv]

I recently said that FlutterFlow was looking to rebrand itself as a “Visual Development Environment” and people were amazed even tho that’s what FF currently is.

[widgetsflow]

That's how I describe flutterflow when teaching people build apps.
A complete no-code/low-code tool doesn't provide this much flexibility, You are trapped in what the platform offers you.
Flutterflow is just right. Its basically an enhancements over traditional development we do, and good thing that it follows the same structure and practices as we do in app development.
I always found this enhancement truly game changing when we expect to build and ship stuff fast, and for anything that we need out of the box, its just something we can implement without worrying much.

[blisphul]

1:08 people did question it, and that's why we mostly use Unicode now for better international language support.

[ktjlsfwjcb]

GUI is not always better than CLI.
For certain activities CLI is better.
For example working with folders and files in CLI can be more convenient in certain circumstances.

[RyseupSolutions]

No matter how you want to phrase it, while I love Flutter Flow, it is not suitable for full-on customization at-ease. I rather develop components from scratch, especially if I'm already building something in a "no-code" environment. Just saying.

[fdelgado]

I've been developing solutions using Oracle tools for 28+ years, and I started using flutterflow about 6 months ago, definitively is very similar it saves me a lot of time on the GUI development and gives me the control to add code as complex as I need if I export it to VS Code, for me is the best of both words.

[KathySierraVideo]

I'm old enough to lived through the "nobody will EVER take Java seriously" mid '90's No matter how people might feel about Java TODAY, it went from a silly 'bouncing head' demo to running some of the largest, most complex back-ends in the world. I've learned to be cautious about dismissing things too early, and yeah, "no code" does not do FF justice, but tbh I really don't care how it's defined because I am having too much fun getting things done with it :) Also, it's nice to see that you are NOT, as I once assumed, an AI voice-over for tutorials but an Actual Human. (well, at least it seems like it... I reckon a year from now it'll be hard to know for certain 😳)

[DavidHust]

To help this advance it would be great if FlutterFlow put out videos to help create custom components. Something as basic as creating a component in FF and then being able to add it to a custom widget is not explained. That's brutal because it stops the flow of customization by the user who wants to do more. Waiting for YouTube to do this is an insufficient approach. Many talk about it but not at the level needed, at least by me.

[JohnHall]

I don't trash no-code regarding scalability. I trash it because it is built upon data sources that are designed first. Low code tools allow you to flip the design toward UX first and data designs...someday. Particularly in enterprise development where business units have never designed an app in their life. They need to see and imagine how an app will work before they can confirm that is what they need. So UX is first, which then allows a data model to form up later.

[rezakn]

I mean yeah, you can call it whatever you want, but those issues you brought up yourself STILL APPLY. FF still gives out Spaghetti Code, still doesn't allow you to export & change the final code, and then bring it back and continue building in FF, the web apps running on it are PAINFULLY slow, etc. that's why I mostly look at it as an MVP design tool for only mobile apps. I hope this changes soon, because I hate having to work with a bunch of code in a bunch of HTML, CSS, Next.JS files for a super simple web app dashboard.